The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to a parallel diagnostic/software installation system that decreases factory cycle times for information handling systems by providing for the performance of diagnostic testing and network software retrieval for those information handling systems in parallel.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems are often customized for the particular needs of particular customers. For example, computing devices such as laptop computing devices, desktop computing devices, server computing devices, and mobile computing devices, may include hardware and software that are provided on the computing device according to a customer's needs and in order to provide desired computing device functionality. The provision of hardware and software on computing devices is associated with a factory cycle in which the hardware for the computing device is configured, and the computing device then performs a series of diagnostic tests to ensure the hardware configuration is operating properly. Following the hardware configuration and diagnostic testing, the computing device then retrieves the software for that computing device through a network according to a software manifest that identifies the particular software for that computing device, and installs that software.
The factory cycle for computing devices is associated with a factory cycle time, and it is desirable for manufacturers to minimize those factory cycles times. However, the current manufacturing techniques discussed above provide for the linear process by the computing device of diagnostic testing, retrieval of the software over the network, and the installation of that software, which can delay the factory cycle time due to, for example, frequent automatic restarts of the computing device required for diagnostic testing and/or other factory cycle bottlenecks known in the art.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved diagnostic/software installation system.